Archive for the ‘television’ Category

As most write-ups on the career of Al Jarnow will tell you, you are probably more familiar with his work than his name. An early contributor to Sesame Street and 3-2-1 Contact, Jarnow’s animations are sure to strike a familiar note to anyone who was raised in a PBS household, or learned to count along to a TV with knobs on it. Recently, vinyl reissuers and all out crate-diggers The Numero Group revisited Jarnow’s work remastering, color-correcting and compiling over forty of Jarnow’s animated shorts into Celestial Navigations, perhaps the most futuristic thirty five year old work your kid is going to see this year.

While we were in London finishing the effects at Framestore, I got to be in a pilot for David Cross created for Channel 4 in Britain. I am in just in a couple scenes in the first episode. I have no idea why David asked me to do it but I had the best role, I just get non-stop verbally abused by Will Arnett in the most scathing hilarious way. I spent the whole day cracking up at two of the funniest people I’ve hung out with. I felt like I had my own private Will and David comedy show. Also, it was directed by the the Russo brothers who directed a lot of Arrested Development. They have a great touch.

Thanks to Lance for pointing out how surprising television can be sometimes. “Destroy Build Destroy” is Andrew WK’s new kids show for the Cartoon Network’s “CnREAL” platform. All the audacity you’ve come to expect from the Cartoon Network but with less of that pesky animation. As you can gather from this promo it’s a far cry from the kids challenges of yesteryear.

“When he was just a kid, Davy Rothbart and his family visited the most famous neighbor in America — Mr. Rogers — at his summer cottage on Nantucket. Two decades later, as an adult, Davy went back for another visit with Mr. Rogers. This time he brought stories from his own neighborhood, stories of neighborly conflict and distrust — to see what kind of advice Mr. Rogers could give him.”